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Is Rob Ford the Sarah Palin of Toronto’s mayoral race? From his own campaign: You betcha.

Comparisons between Etobicoke’s straight-talkin’ city councillor and Alaska’s folksy former governor are abundant.

Like Palin, Ford has been largely dismissed by the political mainstream. His frequent blunders are fodder for critics who say he is incompetent and unfit to lead. Yet his message of fiscal responsibility and smaller government clearly resonates with voters, much to the annoyance of colleagues on council and mayoral opponents.

Two polls released this week show Ford in a dead heat with former frontrunner George Smitherman. The bombastic gaffe-machine is now trouncing both the current deputy mayor and former director of the national Liberal party.

As the David Miller years come to an end, so too does Toronto’s appetite for a city hall that governs left-of-centre. And at the halfway mark of the campaign, it seems clear voters are listening closely to Ford’s conservative message.

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“People are tired of all these slick, fast-talking politicians,” said Doug Ford, who is managing his brother’s campaign. “The elitists of Toronto, or the establishment, are not voting for Rob, (but) the liberals are.”

Ford’s team has been frustrated with how the “left-wing” media has covered the campaign so far, said the elder Ford brother.

“It’s the same way Sarah Palin was treated” during the presidential election, he said.

When asked whether he saw similarities between his appeal and Palin’s, the candidate responded in typical Ford fashion.

“I’ve never really followed Sarah Palin — my heart is in municipal politics. I know she’s attractive. So all right, if I’m as good looking as she is, then all right, I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said with a good-natured chuckle.

Was that the most politically correct response? No. But this variety of Average Joe charm has been the secret to his success.

Though he’s been a city councillor for 10 years, Ford has managed to position himself as the anti-politician. You may not agree with what he has to say, but at least you can believe he means it.

And although Ford is a well-off businessman — he and his brothers run Deco Labels & Tags, a business they inherited from their late father, a Conservative MPP — Ford is largely viewed as a champion of the working class.

His political sins, including a drunken tirade at a Maple Leaf game that he initially lied about, disparaging comments made to the gay community, and a declaration that “Oriental people work like dogs,” are often overshadowed by his dogged determination to rein in city spending, his habit of going after colleagues for abusing their expense accounts, and his devotion to his Ward 2 constituents.

In May, on the advice of the integrity commissioner, city council voted to officially reprimand Ford for a confidentiality breach dating back to August 2009. During a regular radio spot on AM640, Ford said the city was planning to buy a house for $750,000 — potentially interfering in a deal that was still in process and officially confidential.

It was the fourth time he violated the code of conduct since 2006.

“He has no respect for the quality of service we deliver to the people of Toronto. He makes it clear almost every time he opens his mouth,” said Councillor Gord Perks, one of many who stood up to denounce Ford before the vote.

“Rob Ford is our Sarah Palin. He has tapped into the anger out there and is now throwing his very own little Tea Party,” Councillor Adam Vaughan said afterwards.

But if council’s intent was to punish or embarrass Ford in front of voters, the tactic probably backfired, said Nelson Wiseman, a politics professor at the University of Toronto.

“It’s a nuanced issue. Most people on the street would say everything should be public. It’s of course reasonable for council to be upset, but the average person doesn’t understand,” he said. “It feeds into the Ford narrative.”

For Wiseman, who specializes in provincial and federal politics, the interesting thing about the looming election is how Toronto, among the country’s most left-leaning electorates, has moved so far to the right.

“The answer of course is that the people who are most engaged with municipal politics are property owners (concerned with taxes). And the people who are most engaged in federal and provincial politics are engaged on broader issues, such as immigration and social programs,” he said.

Doug Ford says his brother is, ideologically, a social liberal who plans to redirect savings from cutting back waste to social programs. Media attempts to link Ford to the ultra-conservative Tea Party movement or any of Palin’s policies are just another example of the bias against him, he added.

“I compare Rob to grassroots, blue-collar workers. He’s out there for the little guy, the working-class person who is tired of overpaying the high taxes and not getting any services,” he said.

It’s exactly the kind of thing Palin would say.

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